The lonely cricketer needs a little help
Success a distant mathematical possibility. One remarkable stat confirms this: in 88 years of Test cricket, only 296 have played for India.
People holding jobs complain of work pressure and students suffer serious stress and anxiety. Now, there is realisation sportspersons leading glamorous lives face similar issues. This is no surprise considering sport is a lonely quest and a relentless battle. Passion for the game drives kids to hold a bat, everyone dreams of scoring runs in front of shrieking fans, playing for India and getting into the IPL. They dream of a life of riches, fame and adulation.
Dreams are divorced from reality and for the millions who play, chances of ‘making it’ are next to zero. Success a distant mathematical possibility. One remarkable stat confirms this: in 88 years of Test cricket, only 296 have played for India.
When unrealistic dreams shatter, despair sets in leading to depression, a medical condition. Till recently, among cricketers, this was considered an isolated matter of some individuals not standing up to pressure in a competitive environment.
That changed when Maxwell, showy and successful,went public about his struggles and decided to take a break. Virat Kohli also admitted there were times he thought ‘it was the end of the world’. The extremely disturbing account of Praveen Kumar, dangerously close to the brink, brings into focus the dark side of cricket.
The accepted narrative is Test players lead lives of privilege and entitlement.Viewed from far it appears they occupy the fast lane, chased by fame and money. Unfortunately, as PK’s life story reveals, this is transient and can end quicker than a 20 over game.
A cricketers career is finite and once the lights dim, there is loneliness and all round. Confronted by such life challenges, many retired stars have hit the bottle with the same intensity they had hit a cricket ball. Living in the shadows in not easy and, with playing whites and cricket gear put away, life is colourless and ordinary.
Stress management
Managing stress is an equally big ask for current players. At present, 1000 first class players (and many more at the junior level) who commit themselves to cricket do so knowing the future is risky. It is no different from entering a dark tunnel not knowing when or where it ends.
A career in cricket, despite its many attractions, is like the act of a vulnerable trapeze artiste executing dangerous stunts without a safety net. Once active playing days are over, many players find themselves at a loose end with no job, no education, no alternate skills to make a fresh start. To that extent cricketers are always on a sticky wicket. This problem is particularly acute for talent emerging from Tier 2 cities.Coming from modest backgrounds, they chose cricket as much as cricket chose them holding out the seductive hope of a bright future.
Most times the better life bypasses them but dangers lurk even for those who luck out. When IPL started, U-19 players were kept away from the auction ostensibly to protect them from ills of excessive money at a tender age .
That changed because a league built on market forces couldn’t justify excluding some from the benefits. As a result, many, some not old enough to drink, drive or vote, came among serious money and couldn’t manage their careers or cash.
Hopefully, now that a conversation has started, solutions will be found .
Current players must receive professional assistance to prepare them for a career in a volatile environment.
Youngsters should be provided help to learn skills needed to get alternate jobs when cricket shuts the door on them. For retired seniors like PK, the Players’ Association must be a friend. The new body should integrate them into the cricket ecosystem by offering a lifeline.
Just as team culture and workload management are buzzwords that engage administrators, mental health of players should be an issue high on the agenda. Cricket is ultimately only a sport; life is a tough ball game with only one innings. Compared to cricket, it is far more uncertain and a lot less glorious.
DISCLAIMER
The writer is a senior sports administrator. Views are personal